Tag Archives: Monsters

A Touch of Wild by Gemma Cates

May 23, 2024Book ReviewEasy Reading, Gemma Cates, Monsters, Paranormal Romance, Van Helsing Sisters Adventuresskyebjenner

Title: A Touch of Wild
Author: Gemma Cates
Series: Van Helsing Sisters Adventures #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Monsters, Paranormal romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2021

For some reason, I was expecting this to be a much longer story. This was incredibly short, sharp and shiny. Which was kind of surprising. Honestly, I really wanted this story to be far more fleshed out. There was so much room for character development, it happened a little bit too quickly to really get into it!

I did love that Mariah Van Helsing is forced to face her prejudices and assumptions. I mean, to be a monster hunter, you kind of have to assume that the those she hunts are monsters… I love that she then finds herself smitten with a werewolf. Plus, he’s kind of sweet and gives her just the right amount of space.

Honestly, like this review, this tale was a little bit too short and sweet for my liking. I seriously enjoyed the story though and look forward to reading more tales of the Van Helsing Sisters!

<- More Gemma Cates

A Touch of Crazy ->

Image source: Amazon

Dating for Monster Hunters by Gemma Cates

December 3, 2023Book ReviewGemma Cates, Monsters, Paranormal Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasyskyebjenner

Title: Dating for Monster Hunters
Author: Gemma Cates
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Monsters, Paranormal fantasy, Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2023

This is one of those books that I downloaded because it’s on Kobo Plus, and someone in a Facebook group suggested it. Thus, I had absolutely no idea what to expect, and started reading this with absolutely no expectations. And you know what? I kind of loved it. It was funny, quirky and a little off kilter. Plus, it’s adjacently related to a series by Cates that I’m looking forward to diving into… much like the very many, many, many books that are sitting in my TBR.

As someone who has never had to date (I met my SO young and we never actually dated), I have a bit of a fascination with the whole idea and practice of dating. Which meant that, reading about this monster hunter who is just trying to go on a few dates was particularly intriguing. I liked imagining anything and everything that could go wrong (because that was kind of the theme her if I’m being honest). Alright, everything that went wrong here was actually of a paranormal nature, but I can see how some of this would translate to real life situations and difficulties of dating.

From fairly on in the story, it was pretty obvious that Griffin was going to be the male love interest / perfect match up. And the fact that he feels it to, and accidentally sends her on disaster after disaster? Kind of hilarious. Yet, even with being able to predict just who the ultimate love interest is going to be, it was fun reading about how the couple ultimately got there. Plus, there’s a whole heap of interaction with the boss, and the mother… both of whom are also brilliant.

Even though this is a standalone novel, Dating for Monster Hunters does open up a whole new urban fantasy world to explore. I like that it’s got a Van Helsing / monster hunter spin. And that there are all sorts of monsters just introduced within this story – ones that you’ve heard of, some that you haven’t.

<- More Gemma Cates

More urban fantasy ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Beginning of Monsters by Tessa Gratton

November 30, 2023Book ReviewA Universe of Wishes, Monsters, Paranormal Fantasy, Tessa Gratton, Young Adultskyebjenner

A Universe of Wishes: A We Need Diverse Books Anthology by Dhonielle Clayton

Title: The Beginning of Monsters
Author: Tessa Gratton
In: A Universe of Wishes (Dhonielle Clayton)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Monsters, Paranormal fantasy, Young adult
Pace: Slow, Medium, Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Crown
Year: 2020

I absolutely loved this short story. it was absolutely freaking brilliant, and totally unexpected. Every time I thought that the story line would go in one direction, it flipped and went in another. Not always the polar opposite to what I expected, but definitely not in a trajectory that I had anticipated. And I think that it did this about three or four times in not very many pages.

The unpredictableness of this tale is one of the things that I loved. Another aspect was that this was set in a non-binary culture. Instead of there just being two genders (and yes, I recognise that there are many more, but others don’t, and that’s not the rabbit hole to go down today), this story was set in a world that had four genders. Or at least, there were four that I picked up on. It felt a little like there could be a whole lot more flexibility than just those four to be honest.

It might have taken me a little while to get used to the different terms of an and az as gender terms. Actually, the first few times I thought that it was a typo. Which just goes to show how damn ingrained him and her are in our society, and how much work I have to remove my own binary understandings. But, having different terms like in this story is a great way to expand on that idea. A very inclusive and wonderful way to introduce to a new generation that genders and identity are a lot more flexible than some would have you believe.

Gender discussions aside (and I am one who will talk about this all day long), the main story line is about two questions… ‘what is a human?’ and ‘where is the line?’. I love that you start off thinking one group of people and their ideas are the monsters… but by the end of it, you’re really not sure. And even writing this review and seriously thinking about it… I don’t know whether the main character ended up on the side of good, or the side of monsters.

<- The Coldest Spot in the Universe

Longer Than the Threads of Time ->

Image source: Goodreads

A Natural History of Autumn by Jeffrey Ford

June 10, 2019Book ReviewJapanese Mythology, Jeffrey Ford, Monsters, The Monstrousskyebjenner

Image result for the monstrous ellen datlow book cover

Title: A Natural History of Autumn
Author: Jeffrey Ford
In: The Monstrous (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Japanese mythology, Monsters
Dates read: 2nd May 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tachyon
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Riku fired, but the face flinched away in an instant, and once the bullet went wide and filled a neat hole in the door, the creature returned and said, “Tomodachi.”

Riku and Michi are spending a night away together in a mysterious location. But, before they see dawn, they’re going ot face up to some of the worst demons… both inside and out.

I really enjoyed this short story. it was a great introduction to the idea of monsters in a monster collection, and that sometimes they’re not always as they seem. I think if I was a bit more familiar with Japanese folklore, I would have picked up more in this story and a bit more of the symbolism. But even without that understanding, this was a great, fun and engaging read. One that I was kind of sad to see finished. And especially sad to find out that it’s not part of a greater series.

Autumn is one of those months that doesn’t really seem to get much attention… the other three all have traditions and histories, and, unless you’re American, Autumn just seems to pass on by. But there is something that is a little bit magical about the month. A little bit sinister. And a little bit dark and twisty. Which makes it the perfect setting for this monstrous adventure. It’s not entirely a dark story, but it’s also not all spring and sunshine either.

I like the twist at the end of this tale. I’m still not sure that I fully understand it, but I know that I enjoyed it. And it is one of those tales that on a reread will probably reveal clues that I never noticed before.

<- The Monstrous

Ashputtle ->